1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for preventing the passage of debris into a drain opening and, more particularly, to a drain trap which includes a disposable filter and which allows complete drainage of the wastewater.
2. Description of the Invention Background
Many drain traps exist in the prior art which operate to prevent debris from entering the mouth of an open drain and clogging the drain. Such open drains are found in a variety of environments such as shower or sink drains in a home; however, it will be appreciated that the instant invention will be applicable to many other open drains. Drain traps in the prior art typically comprise a strainer or grid which is received into the drain opening or is secured over the drain opening by clips that extend into the drain opening. Those drain traps frequently require cleaning. Some drain traps circumvent the necessity for cleaning by providing for a disposable assembly. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,289, issued Sep. 28, 1976 to Robbins, discloses a disposable sink strainer that is made of disposable plastic. U.S. Pat. No. 3,742,524, issued Jul. 3, 1973 to Ballentine, discloses a drain strainer comprising an aluminum mesh which is folded about a peripheral ring and placed into or over the drain. U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,497, issued Sep. 18, 1984 to Riutort et al. discloses a lavatory filter comprising an annular ring with a disposable dome shaped strainer member made of metal mesh material and held down by curved leaf springs which engage the inner surface of the drain opening. All of the above-described strainers disclose disposable strainer elements that must be pre-formed before they can be installed. This added manufacturing step contributes to a greater overall cost for the disposable element, thus making the strainers less economically attractive when compared to conventional non-disposable strainers. Furthermore, in the Ballentine and Riutort devices, the ring member which holds the disposable element does not allow the water having a level less than the height of the ring member to pass therethrough, and therefore the water cannot drain completely around the ring member. As such, when using those prior strainer devices, one is often left with an amount of debris carrying water in the bottom of the sink or vessel. To remove that water, it becomes necessary to remove the strainer, thus creating the opportunity for excessive amounts of strained debris remaining in the water to pass into the drain and become lodged therein.
Thus, the need exists for a disposable drain trap which is economical to produce, in which the filter is easy to change, and which allows the water to fully drain.